1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally related to a system of processing software scripts directed to computer operations and, more particularly, is related to a system and method for online replacement of a running script within the same process in software.
2. Description of Related Art
As known in the computer and software arts, software scripts undergo many changes during their product life. The changes either enhance the script's functionality through updates or remove problems (i.e., bugs) from the script steps. In either circumstance, the script is usually replaced with a new version of the script.
Typically, when a script is replaced with a new version, the old version of the script is terminated, and the new version is started. This procedure, however, creates a problem where the script operation is interrupted for some time period.
Generally, a script is a sequence of shell commands contained in a text file. There are various ways scripts are executed. Some shells read a line of script, parse it, execute it, and then read the next line. Other shells, such as the well known Perl shell program, parse and compile the entire script into object code before beginning execution. One type of script is a common gateway interface (cgi) script. Generally, a cgi script is invoked when a user clicks on an element in a web page, such as a link or image. Cgi scripts are used to provide interactivity in a Web page. Cgi scripts can be written in many different computer software languages, including C, C++ and Perl. A cgi-bin is a library of cgi scripts applications that can be executed by a processor.
Heretofore, software users have lacked the ability to allow a running script to be replaced with a new version of a script without loss of service or state.